ASUU Strike Looms

The Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) leadership conference on Tuesday ended without a resolution.

This indicates that the six-month-old lecturers’ strike at public universities will continue.

The Professor Nimi Briggs Committee and the striking academics met on Tuesday at the National University Commission in Abuja to break the deadlock.

The Briggs renegotiation committee members did not present any new offers to the table, according to a top member of ASUU who requested anonymity and spoke to Channels Television.

Instead, the committee begged the professors to cease their strike, the ASUU source claimed, assuring them that their issues would be addressed in the 2023 budget.

The discussion, which began at noon, reportedly lasted about three hours without producing a resolution.

ASUU embarked on a four-week warning strike on February 14.

To give the administration time to fulfil all of its objectives, the union decided to extend the industrial action by another two months on March 14. On May 9, a 12-week extension was declared.

The union has been on strike since May 9 and has vowed to continue until its demands are granted.

Among other requests, the academics want better welfare, the revitalisation of public universities, and academic autonomy.

The non-payment of university revitalisation funds, which total roughly N1.1 trillion, is one point of discontent among academics. 

However, the Federal Government has asserted that it lacks the resources to make such a payment, citing the low oil prices experienced during President Muhammadu Buhari’s watch.

The agreement was struck in 2009. The Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System problem is another (IPPIS).

The University Transparency and Accountability Solution is an alternative payroll system advocated by academics (UTAS).